Cooking device, material detection method and device for cooking device, storage medium

Abstract

The present invention provides a cooking device, a method and device for detecting materials of the cooking device, and a storage medium. The cooking device includes: a storage bin, including a first cavity and a rib extending along the depth direction of the first cavity and located in the first cavity; N optical sensors, arranged outside the first cavity at intervals along the depth direction of the first cavity, for emitting optical signals to the rib and receiving the reflected signals reflected by the rib, where N is an integer greater than 2. According to the intensity of the reflected signals received by the optical sensors, it can be determined whether there is material in the first cavity of the storage bin at the position (height) where the optical sensors are arranged, so as to realize the detection of the remaining material quantity in the material bin, effectively ensuring the use experience and working efficiency of the cooking device.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to the technical field of household electrical appliances, and more particularly, to a cooking device, a method and a device for detecting materials of the cooking device, and a storage medium. Background Art

[0002] In the related art, an automatic cooking device can automatically complete the steps from feeding to cooking, which can effectively improve the user experience. For an automatic cooking device, in order to achieve automatic cooking, a storage bin is generally provided thereon, which is used to store ingredients such as clear water, rice, soybeans, etc. In order to ensure the cooking requirements, the amount of materials in the storage bin should be greater than the amount required for cooking. For example, if the materials in the storage bin are not enough for cooking after the cooking starts, it will lead to cooking failure and poor experience. Summary of the Invention

[0003] The present invention aims to solve at least one of the technical problems existing in the prior art or related technologies.

[0004] To this end, a first aspect of the present invention provides a cooking device.

[0005] A second aspect of the present invention provides a method for detecting materials of a cooking device.

[0006] A third aspect of the present invention provides a device for detecting materials of a cooking device.

[0007] A fourth aspect of the present invention provides another cooking device.

[0008] A fifth aspect of the present invention provides yet another cooking device.

[0009] A sixth aspect of the present invention provides a readable storage medium.

[0010] In view of this, a first aspect of the present invention provides a cooking device, including: a storage bin, including a first cavity, and ribs extending along the depth direction of the first cavity and located in the first cavity; N optical sensors, arranged outside the first cavity at intervals along the depth direction of the first cavity, for emitting optical signals to the ribs and receiving the reflected signals reflected by the ribs, where N is an integer greater than 2.

[0011] In this technical solution, the cooking device includes a storage bin. Among them, the storage bin can be a water storage tank, that is, a container for storing liquid, and the storage bin can also be a rice bin, a bean bin, etc. for storing solid materials. A first cavity is formed in the storage cavity, and the stored materials are placed in the first cavity. Among them, the first cavity can be a sealed cavity.

[0012] Further, in the first cavity, there is also a rib formed, which extends along the depth direction of the first cavity. That is to say, when the storage bin is placed flat on a horizontal plane, the rib extends along the vertical direction.

[0013] The cooking device is also provided with a light sensor, and the number of light sensors is N. The N light sensors are arranged opposite to the rib, and the direction in which the N light sensors are arranged at intervals is the same as the extending direction of the rib. Among them, the light sensor can emit and receive light signals.

[0014] Specifically, the side wall of the storage bin and the rib are made of a transparent material. The rib is located in the first cavity of the storage bin. By adjusting the shape of the rib, the rib has a specific reflection mode for the light signal of the light sensor. For example, if there is no medium such as water stored in the first cavity, that is, the medium in contact with the rib is air, then the rib has a first refractive index for the light signal emitted by the light sensor. At the first refractive index, the light signal emitted by the light sensor will be refracted multiple times and then reflected back to the light sensor. At this time, the reflected signal is approximately "directly irradiated" onto the light sensor, so that the light sensor receives the reflected signal, and the reflected signal has a first intensity.

[0015] If there is a medium such as water in the first cavity, then the medium in contact with the rib changes from air to water, and the changed medium will also cause the refractive index of the rib for the light signal to change. Therefore, the optical path of the light signal emitted by the light sensor refracting inside the rib will also change accordingly, and the angle at which the finally received refracted signal is directed to the light sensor will also change. At this time, the reflected signal is equivalent to being "obliquely irradiated" onto the light sensor, so that the intensity of the reflected signal received by the light sensor decreases.

[0016] Therefore, according to the intensity of the reflected signal received by the light sensor, it can be determined whether there is a material in the first cavity of the storage bin at the position (height) where the light sensor is set, so as to realize the detection of the remaining material quantity in the material bin, and can further accurately judge whether there is enough material in the material bin. If the material is sufficient, the cooking device can perform automatic cooking without the user's attention. If the material decreases, the user can be prompted to supplement the material in a timely manner to ensure the effective operation of the cooking device. If the remaining material is not enough to meet the cooking requirements, an alarm message is generated to prompt the user to supplement it in time, effectively ensuring the use experience and working efficiency of the cooking device.

[0017] In addition, the cooking device in the above technical solution provided by the present invention may also have the following additional technical features:

[0018] In the above technical solution, the N optical sensors include M first optical sensors, where M is less than N; the cooking device further includes: a controller, connected to the N optical sensors, and configured to determine the material height of the material in the storage bin according to the signal intensities of the M first reflection signals received by the M first optical sensors.

[0019] In this technical solution, a part of the optical sensors are first optical sensors. Specifically, the number of the first optical sensors is M. Each of the first optical sensors corresponds to a set height, so as to detect whether there is material at the corresponding height.

[0020] The cooking device is also provided with a controller, which can be the main control unit of the cooking device or an independently provided position detection controller. The controller is connected to the optical sensors. Among them, according to the different material heights in the first cavity, the intensities of the first reflection signals received by the first optical sensors set at different heights are also different. Therefore, the signal values transmitted by different first optical sensors to the controller will also be different accordingly.

[0021] Therefore, the controller can determine the material height of the material in the first cavity according to the set heights of the first optical sensors and the corresponding first reflection signals. Specifically, for example, the cooking device includes three first optical sensors, corresponding to height 1 (33% of the total depth of the first cavity), height 2 (66% of the total depth of the first cavity), and height 3 (99% of the total depth of the first cavity) respectively.

[0022] If the signal intensity detected by the first optical sensor corresponding to height 1 is 1, the signal intensity detected by the first optical sensor corresponding to height 2 is 0, and the signal intensity detected by the first optical sensor corresponding to height 3 is 0, it indicates that the current material height in the first cavity corresponds to height 1, and currently the material height in the first cavity is between 33% and 66% of the total depth of the first cavity.

[0023] It can be understood that if there is a situation where the signal intensity detected by the first optical sensor corresponding to height 1 is 0, the signal intensity detected by the first optical sensor corresponding to height 2 is 1, and the signal intensity detected by the first optical sensor corresponding to height 3 is 0 or 1, that is, the first optical sensor at a higher height detects the material and the optical sensor at a lower height does not detect the material, it indicates that there is a fault in the optical sensor or the controller, and a fault message is reported at this time.

[0024] In this application, by providing optical sensors at different heights and setting convex ribs to reflect optical signals, and according to the intensities of different reflection signals, the material height of the material in the storage bin can be accurately obtained, realizing the detection of the remaining material quantity.

[0025] In any of the above technical solutions, the cooking device further includes: a separator disposed in the first cavity and connected to the storage tank. The separator and the storage tank enclose a second cavity, and a part of the convex ribs is located in the second cavity; the N light sensors further include N - M second light sensors; the controller is further configured to determine the installation state of the storage tank according to the second reflection signal received by the second light sensors.

[0026] In this technical solution, the installation state of the storage tank can also be detected by the second light sensors. Specifically, the cooking device is provided with N light sensors, and M of them are first light sensors. Since the first light sensors are used to detect the height of the material, when the storage tank is installed in place but there is no material in the first cavity, the intensity value of the first reflection signal received by the first light sensors is 1, that is, a reflection signal greater than the threshold can be received. When there is material in the first cavity, materials such as water contact the convex ribs, resulting in a change in the reflection coefficient of the convex ribs. At this time, the intensity value of the first reflection signal received by the first light sensors is 0, that is, the intensity of the received reflection signal is less than the threshold.

[0027] When the storage tank is not installed in place, such as when the storage tank is not installed, the first light sensors cannot receive the first reflection signal, and its manifestation is that the intensity of the first reflection signal is also 0, which is the same as the signal type when there is material in the first cavity.

[0028] Therefore, in order to accurately detect the installation state of the storage tank, second light sensors are set among the N light sensors. Among them, since the number of the first light sensors is M, the number of the second light sensors is N - M. In some embodiments, the number of the second light sensors is 1.

[0029] At the same time, a separator is provided at a position opposite to the second light sensors. A second cavity that is not communicated with the first cavity is isolated by the separator and the housing, and a part of the convex ribs is located in the second cavity. Therefore, whether there is material in the storage tank or not, the material is always separated by the separator and cannot contact the convex ribs. Therefore, the refractive index of this part of the convex ribs will not change.

[0030] The second light sensors are opposite to the convex rib part enclosed by the separator. Therefore, as long as the storage tank is installed in place, the second light sensors can always receive the second reflection signal, and its signal intensity is 1. If the second sensors cannot receive the second reflection signal, or the received second reflection signal is not 1, it means that the storage tank is not installed or not installed in place, achieving accurate identification of the installation state of the storage tank.

[0031] In any of the above technical solutions, the convex ribs include an incident surface and a reflection surface; the light sensors include a transmitting end and a receiving end, the transmitting end faces the incident surface, and the receiving end faces the reflection surface.

[0032] In this technical solution, the convex rib is specifically a polyhedral convex rib, which has an incident surface and a reflection surface. Among them, the emitting end of the optical sensor faces the incident surface of the convex rib, and the receiving end of the optical sensor faces the reflection surface of the convex rib.

[0033] Specifically, the optical signal emitted by the optical sensor propagates in a straight line in the air. After the optical signal enters the side wall of the storage bin, due to the change of the medium, the optical path direction changes for the first time, and the changed optical path continues to propagate in a straight line until it contacts the incident surface of the convex rib. At this time, the incident surface of the convex rib refracts part of the optical signal towards the reflection surface of the convex rib, and is emitted through the reflection surface of the convex rib, and finally received by the receiving end of the optical sensor.

[0034] Among them, if the convex rib contacts the material in the storage bin, such as contacting water, the refractive index of the convex rib for the optical signal changes. Finally, the intensity of the reflected signal emitted is weaker compared to the case where the convex rib does not contact water. Therefore, according to whether the intensity of the received signal exceeds the threshold, it can be judged whether there is material at the set height of the optical sensor, realizing the detection of the material height.

[0035] In any of the above technical solutions, the cooking device further includes: a cooking cavity connected to the storage bin; a cooking component connected to the cooking cavity for cooking the material in the cooking cavity.

[0036] In this technical solution, the cooking device can be an electronic device such as a rice cooker, a soymilk machine, or a wall breaker. Among them, a cooking cavity is provided in the cooking device, and the cooking cavity is used to hold and accommodate food ingredients. For example, if the cooking device is a rice cooker, the cooking cavity is the inner pot of the rice cooker. If the cooking device is a soymilk machine or a wall breaker, the cooking cavity is the crushing cup of the soymilk machine or the wall breaker.

[0037] Among them, the cooking cavity is connected to the storage bin, so as to realize automatic addition of materials into the storage bin during the cooking process. When the storage bin is a water tank, a water supply component can be provided between the water tank and the cooking cavity, including a water path, a water pump, and a water valve. When water supply to the cooking cavity is not required, the water valve is closed and the water pump does not work. At this time, the water path is blocked. When water supply to the cooking cavity is required, the water valve is opened, and the water pump pumps a fixed amount of water into the cooking cavity according to the set water supply amount.

[0038] When the storage bin is a storage box, such as a rice box, a flow channel can be provided between the storage bin and the cooking cavity, and a feed bin is provided at one end of the flow channel close to the cooking cavity. At the same time, a fan component is provided. The fan component is a power component, which can generate an air flow when working. Specifically, during the process of adding rice, first, the fan component extracts the air in the feed bin, so that a negative pressure is formed in the feed bin. At this time, the rice stored in the rice box will enter the feed bin through the flow channel under the influence of the pressure.

[0039] Among them, the cavity in the feed bin is a metering cavity, that is, the volume of this cavity matches the amount of rice added at one time, and a screen is provided between the metering cavity and the fan assembly to prevent rice from entering the fan assembly. After the material enters the feed bin, the feed bin opens to connect the feed bin and the cooking cavity of the cooking device. At this time, the fan assembly blows air into the feed bin, so as to blow the rice in the feed bin into the cooking cavity to achieve automatic rice addition.

[0040] After the rice addition and water addition are completed, the cooking device heats the cooking cavity through the cooking assembly, so as to achieve automatic cooking. Among them, the cooking assembly includes a stirring part, a grinding part, a crushing part and a heating part.

[0041] The second aspect of the present invention provides a method for detecting materials of a cooking device, which is used to control the cooking device provided in any of the above technical solutions. The method includes: controlling the optical sensor of the cooking device to emit an optical signal to the storage bin of the cooking device; receiving the reflected signal corresponding to the optical signal; and determining the height of the material in the storage bin according to the signal intensity of the reflected signal.

[0042] In this technical solution, the cooking device includes a storage bin. In the first cavity of the storage bin, there are also formed convex ribs, which extend along the depth direction of the first cavity. That is to say, when the storage bin is placed flat on a horizontal plane, the convex ribs extend along the vertical direction. The cooking device is also provided with N optical sensors, and the N optical sensors are arranged opposite to the convex ribs, and the direction in which the N optical sensors are arranged at intervals is the same as the extending direction of the convex ribs. Among them, the optical sensor can emit and receive optical signals.

[0043] Taking the storage bin as a water tank as an example, if there is no water at a specific height in the first cavity, that is, the medium in contact with the convex rib is air, then the convex rib has a first refractive index for the optical signal emitted by the optical sensor. Under the first refractive index, the optical signal emitted by the optical sensor will be refracted multiple times and then reflected back to the optical sensor. At this time, the reflected signal is approximately "directly irradiated" onto the optical sensor, so that the optical sensor receives the reflected signal, and this reflected signal has a first intensity.

[0044] If there is water at a specific height in the first cavity, then the medium in contact with the convex rib changes from air to water, and the changed medium will also cause the refractive index of the convex rib for the optical signal to change. Therefore, the optical path of the optical signal emitted by the optical sensor inside the convex rib will also change accordingly, and the angle at which the finally received refracted signal is directed to the optical sensor will also change. At this time, the reflected signal is equivalent to being "deflected" onto the optical sensor, so that the reflected signal received by the optical sensor decreases.

[0045] Therefore, according to the intensity of the reflected signal received by the optical sensor, it can be determined whether there is any material in the first cavity of the storage bin at the position (height) where the optical sensor is set, so as to determine the material height and realize the detection of the remaining material quantity in the material bin. If the material is sufficient, the cooking device can perform automatic cooking without the user's attention. If the material decreases, the user can be prompted to supplement the material in a timely manner to ensure the effective operation of the cooking device. If the remaining material is not enough to meet the cooking requirements, an alarm message is generated to prompt the user to supplement it in time, effectively ensuring the use experience and working efficiency of the cooking device.

[0046] In the above technical solution, the optical sensor includes M first optical sensors, and the M first optical sensors respectively correspond to M height information; the reflected signal includes M first reflected signals corresponding one-to-one to the M first optical sensors; determining the material height in the storage bin according to the signal intensity of the reflected signal includes: when the signal intensities of X target reflected signals among the M first reflected signals are less than the intensity threshold, determining the material height according to the maximum value of the X height information corresponding to the X target reflected signals.

[0047] In this technical solution, the cooking device is provided with N optical sensors in total, where part of the N optical sensors are first optical sensors. Specifically, the number of first optical sensors is M, and each first optical sensor corresponds to a set height, so as to detect whether there is any material at the corresponding height.

[0048] Among them, the M height information corresponding to the M first optical sensors is continuous height information. In some embodiments, the M height information is continuous, specifically, the difference between any two adjacent height information is equal. For example, when M = 3, the M height information is height 1, height 2, and height 3, or height 100, height 200, and height 300. If the three height information are height 1, height 2, and height 4, then the three height information are not continuous.

[0049] Furthermore, the height information can be related to the depth of the first cavity of the storage bin of the cooking device. For example, height 1 corresponds to 33% of the total depth of the first cavity, height 2 corresponds to 66% of the total depth of the first cavity, and height 3 corresponds to 99% of the total depth of the first cavity, etc.

[0050] Among them, since the signal intensity of the reflected signal received by the first optical sensor at this height is different when there is material and when there is no material at the corresponding height. Here, the case where the signal intensity is greater than or equal to the intensity threshold is set to 1, indicating that there is no material at this height, and the case where the signal intensity is less than the intensity threshold is set to 0, indicating that there is material at this height.

[0051] At this time, taking the case where M = 3 and a total of 3 first optical sensors are set as an example, if the signal intensity detected by the first optical sensor corresponding to height 1 is 1, the signal intensity detected by the first optical sensor corresponding to height 2 is 0, and the signal intensity detected by the first optical sensor corresponding to height 3 is 0, it indicates that the material height in the current first cavity corresponds to height 1, and currently the material height in the first cavity is between 33% and 66% of the total depth of the first cavity.

[0052] In this application, by installing optical sensors at different heights and setting convex ribs to reflect optical signals, according to the intensities of different reflected signals, the material height in the storage bin can be accurately obtained, realizing the detection of the remaining material quantity.

[0053] In any of the above technical solutions, the material detection method further includes: when all M first reflection signals are greater than or equal to the intensity threshold, determining that the material height is 0.

[0054] In this technical solution, if the first reflection signal is greater than or equal to the intensity threshold, it indicates that there is no material at the height of the first optical sensor that receives this first reflection signal. Therefore, if all the first reflection signals exceed or are equal to the intensity threshold, that is, it indicates that there is no material at the set heights of all the first optical sensors. At this time, it is determined that the storage bin is empty, and the material height of the material in the storage bin is 0.

[0055] It can be understood that the more the number of first sensors is set and the denser the distribution of the first sensors is, the finer the height detection result will be. When the number of first sensors set is small, such as setting 3 first sensors, and the sensor corresponding to the lowest detection height is set at 20% of the total depth of the storage bin, when the material height in the storage bin is lower than 20%, it is determined that the material height is 0 and the storage bin is empty. Among them, the shape of the first cavity in the storage bin may be irregular, and a material height of 20% does not necessarily mean that the remaining material quantity is 20%.

[0056] In any of the above technical solutions, the material detection method further includes: displaying the material height; and generating a corresponding prompt message when the material height is lower than the height threshold.

[0057] In this technical solution, a height threshold can be preset. If the material height is greater than the preset height threshold, it indicates that there is sufficient remaining material in the storage bin, and there is no need to worry that the lack of material will affect the cooking effect at this time. If the material height is lower than the preset height threshold, it indicates that the material has decreased, and the user needs to be prompted to supplement the material in a timely manner.

[0058] It can be understood that if the material height is 0, it is considered that the remaining material cannot support cooking. At this time, an alarm message can be sent to the user's remote control, mobile phone APP, etc., to prompt the user to supplement the material in a timely manner.

[0059] In any of the above technical solutions, the material detection method further includes: generating corresponding fault information when the M first reflection signals conform to a preset fault truth table.

[0060] In this technical solution, under normal circumstances, the first reflection signals conform to a specific pattern. For example, if there are 5 first optical sensors, and the corresponding signals and heights are A, B, C, D, and E respectively, where the height gradually decreases from A to E. If the material height in the current first cavity corresponds to the first optical sensor D, then at this time, the signal intensities of A, B, and C should be 1, and the signal intensities of D and E should be 0. Once the signal intensity of A is 0 and the signal intensity of B is 1, that is, there is material at the "higher" position and no material at the "lower" position, it indicates that there is a fault in the optical sensor or the controller. At this time, fault information is generated to prompt the user to repair the cooking device.

[0061] In any of the above technical solutions, the optical sensor further includes a second optical sensor, and the reflection signal further includes a second reflection signal; the material detection method further includes: determining that the installation state of the storage bin is installed when the second reflection signal is received; determining that the installation state of the storage bin is not installed when the second reflection signal is not received.

[0062] In this technical solution, the installation state of the storage bin can also be detected by the second optical sensor. Specifically, since the first optical sensor is used to detect the material height, when the storage bin is installed in place but there is no material in the first cavity, the intensity value of the first reflection signal received by the first optical sensor is 1, that is, a reflection signal greater than the threshold can be received. When there is material in the first cavity, materials such as water come into contact with the rib, resulting in a change in the reflection coefficient of the rib. At this time, the intensity value of the first reflection signal received by the first optical sensor is 0, that is, the intensity of the received reflection signal is less than the threshold.

[0063] When the storage bin is not installed in place, such as when the storage bin is not installed, the first optical sensor cannot receive the first reflection signal, and its manifestation is that the intensity of the first reflection signal is also 0, which is the same as the signal type when there is material in the first cavity.

[0064] Therefore, to accurately detect the installation state of the storage bin, a second optical sensor is provided. At the same time, at a position opposite to the second optical sensor, a separator is provided. Through the separator and the housing, a second cavity that is not connected to the first cavity is isolated. A part of the rib is located in the second cavity. Therefore, regardless of whether there is material in the storage bin, the material is always separated by the separator and cannot come into contact with the rib. Therefore, the refractive index of this part of the rib will not change.

[0065] The second photosensor faces the rib portion enclosed by the isolation member. Therefore, as long as the storage bin is properly installed, the second photosensor can always receive the second reflection signal, and the signal intensity is 1. If the second photosensor fails to receive the second reflection signal or the received second reflection signal is not 1, it indicates that the storage bin is not installed or not properly installed, thus achieving accurate identification of the installation status of the storage bin.

[0066] In the third aspect of the present invention, a material detection device for a cooking appliance is provided, including: a control module for controlling a photosensor of the cooking appliance to emit a light signal to a storage bin of the cooking appliance; a receiving module for receiving a reflection signal corresponding to the light signal; and a determination module for determining the height of the material in the storage bin according to the signal intensity of the reflection signal.

[0067] In this technical solution, the cooking appliance includes a storage bin. In the first cavity of the storage bin, ribs are further formed, and the ribs extend along the depth direction of the first cavity. That is to say, when the storage bin is placed flat on a horizontal plane, the ribs extend along the vertical direction. The cooking appliance is further provided with N photosensors, and the N photosensors are arranged opposite to the ribs, and the direction in which the N photosensors are spaced apart is the same as the extending direction of the ribs. Among them, the photosensor can emit and receive light signals.

[0068] Taking the storage bin as a water tank as an example, if there is no water at a specific height in the first cavity, that is, the medium in contact with the ribs is air, then the ribs have a first refractive index for the light signal emitted by the photosensor. Under the first refractive index, the light signal emitted by the photosensor will be reflected back to the photosensor after multiple refractions. At this time, the reflection signal is approximately "directly incident" on the photosensor, so that the photosensor receives the reflection signal, and the reflection signal has a first intensity.

[0069] If there is water at a specific height in the first cavity, the medium in contact with the ribs changes from air to water, and the changed medium will also cause the refractive index of the ribs for the light signal to change. Therefore, the optical path of the light signal emitted by the photosensor refracted inside the ribs will also change accordingly, and the angle at which the finally received refraction signal is incident on the photosensor will also change. At this time, the reflection signal is equivalent to being "obliquely incident" on the photosensor, so that the received reflection signal of the photosensor decreases.

[0070] Therefore, according to the intensity of the reflected signal received by the optical sensor, it can be determined whether there is any material in the first cavity of the storage bin at the position (height) where the optical sensor is set, so as to determine the material height, realize the detection of the remaining material quantity in the material bin. If the material is sufficient, the cooking device can perform automatic cooking without the need for user attention. If the material decreases, the user can be prompted to supplement the material in a timely manner to ensure the effective operation of the cooking device. If the remaining material is not enough to meet the cooking requirements, an alarm message is generated to prompt the user to supplement it in time, effectively ensuring the use experience and working efficiency of the cooking device.

[0071] The fourth aspect of the present invention provides a cooking device, which includes the material detection device of the cooking device provided in any of the above technical solutions. Therefore, this cooking device also includes all the beneficial effects of the material detection device of the cooking device provided in any of the above technical solutions. To avoid repetition, they will not be elaborated here.

[0072] The fifth aspect of the present invention provides a cooking device, including: a memory on which programs or instructions are stored; a processor for implementing the material detection method of the cooking device provided in any of the above technical solutions when executing the programs or instructions. Therefore, this cooking device also includes all the beneficial effects of the material detection method of the cooking device provided in any of the above technical solutions. To avoid repetition, they will not be elaborated here.

[0073] The sixth aspect of the present invention provides a readable storage medium on which programs or instructions are stored, and when the programs or instructions are executed by a processor, they can implement the material detection method of the cooking device provided in any of the above technical solutions. Therefore, this readable storage medium also includes all the beneficial effects of the material detection method of the cooking device provided in any of the above technical solutions. To avoid repetition, they will not be elaborated here. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0074] The above and / or additional aspects and advantages of the present invention will become apparent and easy to understand from the description of the embodiments in conjunction with the following drawings, where:

[0075] Figure 1 Fig. 1 shows a schematic structural diagram of a cooking device according to an embodiment of the present application;

[0076] Figure 2 Fig. 2 shows a schematic structural diagram of a cooking device according to an embodiment of the present application;

[0077] Figure 3 Fig. 3 shows a schematic structural diagram of a cooking device according to an embodiment of the present application;

[0078] Figure 4 Fig. 4 shows a flowchart of a material detection method of a cooking device according to an embodiment of the present application;

[0079] Figure 5 Shows the second flowchart of the material detection method of the cooking device according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0080] Figure 6 Shows the third flowchart of the material detection method of the cooking device according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0081] Figure 7 Shows the structural block diagram of the material detection device of the cooking device according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0082] Figure 8 Shows the first structural block diagram of the cooking device according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0083] Figure 9 Shows the second structural block diagram of the cooking device according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0084] Reference numerals:

[0085] 102 Storage bin, 1022 First cavity, 1024 Rib, 1026 Second cavity, 104 Optical sensor, 106 Isolator. Detailed implementation manners

[0086] In order to more clearly understand the above objects, features and advantages of the present invention, the present invention will be further described in detail below with reference to the drawings and specific implementation manners. It should be noted that, without conflict, the embodiments of the present application and the features in the embodiments may be combined with each other.

[0087] In the following description, many specific details are set forth in order to fully understand the present invention. However, the present invention may also be implemented in other ways different from those described herein. Therefore, the protection scope of the present invention is not limited by the specific embodiments disclosed below.

[0088] Next, refer to Figures 1 to 9 Describe the cooking device, the material detection method and device of the cooking device, and the storage medium according to some embodiments of the present invention. Embodiment

[0089] In some embodiments of the present invention, a cooking device is provided. Figure 1 Shows the first structural schematic diagram of the cooking device according to an embodiment of the present application. Figure 2 Shows the second structural schematic diagram of the cooking device according to an embodiment of the present application. Figure 3 Shows the third structural schematic diagram of the cooking device according to an embodiment of the present application, as Figure 1 , Figure 2 and Figure 3As shown in the figure, the cooking device includes: a storage bin 102, which includes a first cavity 1022 and a rib 1024 located in the first cavity 1022 and extending along the depth direction of the first cavity 1022; N optical sensors 104, which are arranged outside the first cavity 1022 at intervals along the depth direction of the first cavity 1022, and are used to emit optical signals to the rib 1024 and receive the reflected signals reflected by the rib 1024, where N is an integer greater than 2.

[0090] In the embodiment of the present application, the cooking device includes a storage bin 102. Among them, the storage bin 102 can be a water storage tank, that is, a container for storing liquid, and the storage bin 102 can also be a rice bin, a bean bin, etc., which are containers for storing solid materials. A first cavity 1022 is formed in the storage cavity, and the stored materials are placed in the first cavity 1022. Among them, the first cavity 1022 can be a sealed cavity.

[0091] Furthermore, in the first cavity 1022, a rib 1024 is also formed, and the rib 1024 extends along the depth direction of the first cavity 1022. That is to say, when the storage bin 102 is placed flat on a horizontal plane, the rib 1024 extends along the vertical direction.

[0092] The cooking device is also provided with N optical sensors 104. The N optical sensors 104 are arranged opposite to the rib 1024, and the direction in which the N optical sensors 104 are arranged at intervals is the same as the extending direction of the rib 1024. Among them, the optical sensor 104 can emit and receive optical signals.

[0093] Specifically, the side wall of the storage bin 102 and the rib 1024 are made of a transparent material. The rib 1024 is located in the first cavity 1022 of the storage bin 102. By adjusting the shape of the rib 1024, the rib 1024 has a specific reflection mode for the optical signal of the optical sensor 104. For example, if there is no medium such as water stored in the first cavity 1022, that is, the medium in contact with the rib 1024 is air, the rib 1024 has a first refractive index for the optical signal emitted by the optical sensor 104. At the first refractive index, the optical signal emitted by the optical sensor 104 will be refracted multiple times and then reflected back to the optical sensor 104. At this time, the reflected signal is approximately "directly" incident on the optical sensor 104, so that the optical sensor 104 receives the reflected signal, and the reflected signal has a first intensity.

[0094] If there is a medium such as water in the first cavity 1022, the medium in contact with the rib 1024 changes from air to water, and the changed medium will also cause the refractive index of the rib 1024 for the optical signal to change. Therefore, the optical path of the optical signal emitted by the optical sensor 104 refracting inside the rib 1024 will also change accordingly. Eventually, the angle at which the refracted signal received by the optical sensor 104 is directed towards the optical sensor 104 also changes. At this time, the reflected signal is equivalent to being "deflected" onto the optical sensor 104, thereby reducing the reflected signal received by the optical sensor 104.

[0095] Therefore, according to the intensity of the reflected signal received by the optical sensor 104, it can be determined whether there is material in the first cavity 1022 of the storage bin 102 at the position (height) where the optical sensor 104 is set, so as to realize the detection of the remaining material quantity in the material bin, and can further accurately judge whether there is sufficient material in the material bin. If the material is sufficient, the cooking device can perform automatic cooking without the user's attention. If the material decreases, the user can be prompted to supplement the material in a timely manner to ensure the effective operation of the cooking device. If the remaining material is not enough to meet the cooking requirements, an alarm message is generated to prompt the user to supplement it in time, effectively ensuring the use experience and working efficiency of the cooking device.

[0096] In some embodiments of the present invention, the N optical sensors 104 include M first optical sensors, where M is less than N; the cooking device further includes: a controller, connected to the N optical sensors 104, and configured to determine the material height of the material in the storage bin 102 according to the signal intensities of the M first reflection signals received by the M first optical sensors.

[0097] In the embodiments of the present application, some of the optical sensors 104 are first optical sensors. Specifically, the number of the first optical sensors is M. Each first optical sensor corresponds to a set height to detect whether there is material at the corresponding height.

[0098] The cooking device is also provided with a controller, which can be the main control unit of the cooking device or an independently set position detection controller. The controller is connected to the optical sensor 104. Among them, according to the different material heights in the first cavity 1022, the intensities of the first reflection signals received by the first optical sensors set at different heights are also different. Therefore, the signal values transmitted by different first optical sensors to the controller will also be different.

[0099] Therefore, the controller can determine the material height of the material in the first cavity 1022 according to the set heights of the first optical sensors and the corresponding first reflection signals. Specifically, for example, the cooking device includes three first optical sensors corresponding to height 1 (33% of the total depth of the first cavity 1022), height 2 (66% of the total depth of the first cavity 1022), and height 3 (99% of the total depth of the first cavity 1022).

[0100] If the signal intensity detected by the first optical sensor corresponding to height 1 is 1, the signal intensity detected by the first optical sensor corresponding to height 2 is 0, and the signal intensity detected by the first optical sensor corresponding to height 3 is 0, it indicates that the material height in the current first cavity 1022 corresponds to height 1, and the current material height in the first cavity 1022 is between 33% and 66% of the total depth of the first cavity 1022.

[0101] It can be understood that if the situation occurs where the signal intensity detected by the first optical sensor corresponding to height 1 is 0, the signal intensity detected by the first optical sensor corresponding to height 2 is 1, and the signal intensity detected by the first optical sensor corresponding to height 3 is 0 or 1, that is, the first optical sensor with a higher height detects the material and the optical sensor 104 with a lower height does not detect the material, it indicates that there is a fault in the optical sensor 104 or the controller, and a fault message is reported at this time.

[0102] By providing optical sensors 104 at different heights, setting the rib 1024 to reflect the optical signal, and according to the intensity of different reflection signals, the present invention can accurately obtain the material height of the material in the storage bin 102, realizing the detection of the remaining material quantity.

[0103] In some embodiments of the present invention, the cooking device further includes: a separator 106 disposed in the first cavity 1022 and connected to the storage bin 102. The separator 106 and the storage bin 102 enclose a second cavity 1026, and some of the ribs 1024 are located in the second cavity 1026; the N optical sensors 104 further include N - M second optical sensors; the controller is further configured to determine the installation state of the storage bin 102 according to the second reflection signals received by the second optical sensors.

[0104] In an embodiment of the present application, the installation state of the storage bin 102 can also be detected by a second optical sensor. Specifically, the cooking device is provided with N optical sensors 104, and M of them are first optical sensors. Since the first optical sensor is used to detect the height of the material, when the storage bin 102 is installed in place but there is no material in the first cavity 1022, the intensity value of the first reflection signal received by the first optical sensor is 1, that is, it can receive a reflection signal greater than the threshold. When there is material in the first cavity 1022, materials such as water come into contact with the rib 1024, resulting in a change in the reflection coefficient of the rib 1024. At this time, the intensity value of the first reflection signal received by the first optical sensor is 0, that is, the intensity of the received reflection signal is less than the threshold.

[0105] When the storage bin 102 is not installed in place, such as when the storage bin 102 is not installed, the first optical sensor cannot receive the first reflection signal, and its intensity is also 0, which is the same signal type as when there is material in the first cavity 1022.

[0106] Therefore, in order to accurately detect the installation state of the storage bin 102, a second optical sensor is set among the N optical sensors 104. Since the number of the first optical sensors is M, the number of the second optical sensors is N - M. In some embodiments, the number of the second optical sensors is 1.

[0107] At the same time, at a position opposite to the second optical sensor, a spacer 106 is provided. Through the spacer 106 and the housing, a second cavity 1026 that is not communicated with the first cavity 1022 is isolated. A part of the rib 1024 is located in the second cavity 1026. Therefore, whether there is material in the storage bin 102 or not, the material is always isolated by the spacer 106 and cannot come into contact with the rib 1024. Therefore, the refractive index of this part of the rib 1024 will not change.

[0108] The second optical sensor is opposite to the part of the rib 1024 surrounded by the spacer 106. Therefore, as long as the storage bin 102 is installed in place, the second optical sensor can always receive the second reflection signal, and its signal intensity is 1. If the second sensor cannot receive the second reflection signal, or the received second reflection signal is not 1, it means that the storage bin 102 is not installed or is not installed in place, realizing accurate identification of the installation state of the storage bin 102.

[0109] In some embodiments of the present invention, the rib 1024 includes an incident surface and a reflection surface; the optical sensor 104 includes a transmitting end and a receiving end, the transmitting end faces the incident surface, and the receiving end faces the reflection surface.

[0110] In the embodiment of the present application, the rib 1024 is specifically a polyhedron rib 1024, which has an incident surface and a reflection surface. Among them, the emitting end of the optical sensor 104 faces the incident surface of the rib 1024, and the receiving end of the optical sensor 104 faces the reflection surface of the rib 1024.

[0111] Specifically, the optical signal emitted by the optical sensor 104 propagates in a straight line in the air. After the optical signal enters the side wall of the storage bin 102, due to the change of the medium, the optical path direction changes for the first time, and the changed optical path continues to propagate in a straight line until it contacts the incident surface of the rib 1024. At this time, the incident surface of the rib 1024 refracts part of the optical signal towards the reflection surface of the rib 1024, and is emitted through the reflection surface of the rib 1024, and finally received by the receiving end of the optical sensor 104.

[0112] In some embodiments, the rib 1024 is an isosceles triangular prism, and the included angle between its incident surface and reflection surface is 90°.

[0113] Among them, if the rib 1024 contacts the material in the storage bin 102, such as contacting water, the refractive index of the rib 1024 for the optical signal changes. Finally, the intensity of the reflected signal emitted is weaker compared to the case where the rib 1024 does not contact water. Therefore, according to whether the intensity of the received signal exceeds the threshold, it can be determined whether there is material at the set height of the optical sensor 104, realizing the detection of the material height.

[0114] In some embodiments of the present invention, the cooking device further includes: a cooking cavity connected to the storage bin 102; a cooking component connected to the cooking cavity for cooking the material in the cooking cavity.

[0115] In the embodiment of the present application, the cooking device can be an electronic device such as a rice cooker, a soymilk machine, or a wall breaker. Among them, a cooking cavity is provided in the cooking device, and the cooking cavity is used to hold and accommodate food ingredients. For example, if the cooking device is a rice cooker, the cooking cavity is the inner pot of the rice cooker; if the cooking device is a soymilk machine or a wall breaker, the cooking cavity is the crushing cup of the soymilk machine or the wall breaker.

[0116] Among them, the cooking cavity is connected to the storage bin 102, so as to automatically add materials into the storage bin 102 during the cooking process. When the storage bin 102 is a water tank, a water supply component can be provided between the water tank and the cooking cavity, including a water path, a water pump, and a water valve. When there is no need to supply water to the cooking cavity, the water valve is closed and the water pump does not work, and at this time the water path is blocked. When it is necessary to supply water to the cooking cavity, the water valve is opened, and the water pump pumps a fixed amount of water into the cooking cavity according to the set water supply amount.

[0117] When the storage bin 102 is a storage box, such as a rice box, etc., a flow channel can be provided between the storage bin 102 and the cooking cavity, and a feed bin is provided at one end of the flow channel close to the cooking cavity. At the same time, a blower assembly is provided, and the blower assembly is a power assembly that can generate an air flow when working. Specifically, during the rice adding process, first, the blower assembly extracts the air in the feed bin, creating a negative pressure in the feed bin. At this time, the rice stored in the rice box will enter the feed bin through the flow channel under the influence of pressure.

[0118] Among them, the cavity in the feed bin is a quantitative cavity, that is, the volume of this cavity matches the amount of rice added at one time, and a screen is provided between the quantitative cavity and the blower assembly to prevent rice from entering the blower assembly. After the material enters the feed bin, the feed bin opens to connect the feed bin and the cooking cavity of the cooking device. At this time, the blower assembly blows air into the feed bin, thereby blowing the rice in the feed bin into the cooking cavity to achieve automatic rice adding.

[0119] After the rice adding and water adding are completed, the cooking device heats the cooking cavity through the cooking assembly, thereby realizing automatic cooking. Among them, the cooking assembly includes a stirring member, a grinding member, a crushing member, and a heating member. Embodiment

[0120] In some embodiments of the present invention, a method for detecting materials of a cooking device is provided. This method is used to control the cooking device provided in any of the above embodiments. Figure 4 FIG. 1 shows one of the flowcharts of the method for detecting materials of a cooking device according to an embodiment of the present application, as Figure 4 shown, the method includes:

[0121] Step 402, control the optical sensor to emit an optical signal to the rib of the storage bin;

[0122] Step 404, the optical sensor receives the reflected signal;

[0123] Step 406, determine the material height of the material in the storage bin according to the signal intensity corresponding to the received reflected signal.

[0124] In the embodiment of the present application, the cooking device includes a storage bin. In the first cavity of the storage bin, ribs are further formed, and the ribs extend along the depth direction of the first cavity. That is to say, when the storage bin is placed flat on a horizontal plane, the ribs extend along the vertical direction. The cooking device is also provided with an optical sensor, and the number of optical sensors is N. The N optical sensors are arranged opposite to the ribs, and the direction in which the N optical sensors are spaced apart is the same as the extending direction of the ribs. Among them, the optical sensor can emit and receive optical signals.

[0125] Taking the storage bin as the water tank as an example, if there is no water at a specific height in the first cavity, that is, the medium in contact with the rib is air, then the rib has a first refractive index for the optical signal emitted by the optical sensor. At the first refractive index, the optical signal emitted by the optical sensor will be refracted multiple times and then reflected back to the optical sensor. At this time, the reflected signal is approximately "directly incident" on the optical sensor, so that the optical sensor receives the reflected signal, and this reflected signal has a first intensity.

[0126] If there is water at a specific height in the first cavity, then the medium in contact with the rib changes from air to water, and the changed medium will also cause the refractive index of the rib for the optical signal to change. Therefore, the optical path of the optical signal emitted by the optical sensor inside the rib will also change accordingly, and the angle at which the finally received refracted signal is incident on the optical sensor will also change. At this time, the reflected signal is equivalent to being "obliquely incident" on the optical sensor, so that the intensity of the reflected signal received by the optical sensor decreases.

[0127] Therefore, according to the intensity of the reflected signal received by the optical sensor, it can be determined whether there is material in the first cavity of the storage bin at the position (height) where the optical sensor is set, so as to determine the material height, and realize the detection of the remaining material quantity in the material bin. If the material is sufficient, the cooking device can perform automatic cooking without the user's attention. If the material decreases, the user can be prompted to supplement the material in a timely manner to ensure the effective operation of the cooking device. If the remaining material is not enough to meet the cooking requirements, an alarm message is generated to prompt the user to supplement it in time, effectively ensuring the use experience and working efficiency of the cooking device.

[0128] In some embodiments of the present invention, the optical sensor includes M first optical sensors, and the M first optical sensors correspond to M height information one by one; the reflected signal includes M first reflected signals, and the M first reflected signals correspond to the M height information and the M first optical sensors one by one.

[0129] Determining the material height of the material in the storage bin according to the signal intensity corresponding to the received reflected signal includes: if among the M first reflected signals, there are X target reflected signals whose signal intensities are all less than the intensity threshold, then according to the largest one of the X height information corresponding to these X target reflected signals, determine the corresponding material height.

[0130] In the embodiments of the present application, the cooking device is provided with N optical sensors in total. Among them, part of the N optical sensors are first optical sensors. Specifically, the number of first optical sensors is M, and each first optical sensor corresponds to a set height, so as to detect whether there is material at the corresponding height.

[0131] Among them, the M height information corresponding to the M first optical sensors is continuous height information. In some embodiments, the M height information is continuous, specifically, the difference between any two adjacent height information is equal. For example, for instance, when M = 3, the M height information is height 1, height 2, and height 3, or height 100, height 200, and height 300. However, if the three height information are height 1, height 2, and height 4, then these three height information are not continuous.

[0132] Furthermore, the height information can be related to the depth of the first cavity of the storage bin of the cooking device. For example, height 1 corresponds to 33% of the total depth of the first cavity, height 2 corresponds to 66% of the total depth of the first cavity, and height 3 corresponds to 99% of the total depth of the first cavity, etc.

[0133] Among them, since the signal intensity of the reflected signal received by the first optical sensor at this height is different when there is material and when there is no material at the corresponding height. Here, the situation where the signal intensity is greater than or equal to the intensity threshold is set to 1, indicating that there is no material at this height, and the situation where the signal intensity is less than the intensity threshold is set to 0, indicating that there is material at this height.

[0134] At this time, taking the case where M = 3 and a total of 3 first optical sensors are set as an example, if the signal intensity detected by the first optical sensor corresponding to height 1 is 1, the signal intensity detected by the first optical sensor corresponding to height 2 is 0, and the signal intensity detected by the first optical sensor corresponding to height 3 is 0, it indicates that the material height in the current first cavity corresponds to height 1, and currently the material height in the first cavity is between 33% and 66% of the total depth of the first cavity.

[0135] The present invention can accurately obtain the material height of the material in the storage bin by installing optical sensors at different heights, setting the rib to reflect the optical signal, and according to the intensity of different reflected signals, so as to realize the detection of the remaining material quantity.

[0136] In some embodiments of the present invention, the material detection method further includes: when the intensity values of all M first reflected signals are greater than or equal to the intensity threshold, determining that the material height is 0.

[0137] In the embodiments of the present application, if the first reflected signal is greater than or equal to the intensity threshold, it indicates that there is no material at the height of the first optical sensor that receives this first reflected signal. Therefore, if all the first reflected signals exceed or are equal to the intensity threshold, that is, it indicates that there is no material at the set heights of all the first optical sensors. At this time, it is determined that the storage bin is empty, and the material height of the material in the storage bin is 0.

[0138] It can be understood that the more the number of the first sensors is set and the denser the distribution of the first sensors is, the finer the result of the height detection will be. When the number of the first sensors is small, for example, when 3 first sensors are set and the sensor corresponding to the lowest detected height is set at 20% of the total depth of the storage bin, when the material height in the storage bin is lower than 20%, it is determined that the material height is 0 and the storage bin is empty. Among them, the shape of the first cavity in the storage bin may be irregular, and a material height of 20% does not necessarily mean that the remaining material amount is 20%.

[0139] In some embodiments of the present invention, the material detection method further includes: displaying the current material height; and generating and displaying a prompt message when the current material height is less than a preset height threshold value.

[0140] In the embodiments of the present application, a height threshold value can be preset. If the material height is greater than the preset height threshold value, it indicates that there is sufficient remaining material in the storage bin, and there is no need to worry that the insufficient material will affect the cooking effect at this time. If the material height is lower than the preset height threshold value, it indicates that the material has decreased, and the user needs to be prompted to supplement the material in a timely manner.

[0141] It can be understood that if the material height is 0, it is considered that the remaining material cannot support cooking. At this time, an alarm message can be sent to the user's remote control, mobile phone APP, etc., to prompt the user to supplement the material in a timely manner.

[0142] In some embodiments of the present invention, the material detection method further includes: generating a fault message when M first reflection signals match a preset fault truth table.

[0143] In the embodiments of the present application, under normal circumstances, the first reflection signal conforms to a specific rule. For example, if there are 5 first optical sensors, and the corresponding signals and heights are A, B, C, D, and E respectively, where the height gradually decreases from A to E. If the current material height in the first cavity corresponds to the first optical sensor D, then the signal intensities of A, B, and C should be 1 at this time, and the signal intensities of D and E should be 0. Once the signal intensity of A is 0 and the signal intensity of B is 1, that is, there is material at a "higher" position and no material at a "lower" position, it indicates that a fault has occurred in the optical sensor or the controller. At this time, a fault message is generated to prompt the user to repair the cooking device.

[0144] In some embodiments of the present invention, the optical sensor further includes a second optical sensor, and the reflection signal correspondingly includes a second reflection signal; the material detection method further includes: determining that the installation state of the storage bin is in place when the second reflection signal is received; and determining that the installation state of the storage bin is not in place when the second reflection signal is not received.

[0145] In the embodiments of the present application, the installation state of the storage bin can also be detected by the second optical sensor. Specifically, since the first optical sensor is used to detect the height of the material, when the storage bin is installed in place but there is no material in the first cavity, the intensity value of the first reflection signal received by the first optical sensor is 1, that is, it can receive a reflection signal greater than the threshold. When there is material in the first cavity, materials such as water contact the rib, resulting in a change in the reflection coefficient of the rib. At this time, the intensity value of the first reflection signal received by the first optical sensor is 0, that is, the intensity of the received reflection signal is less than the threshold.

[0146] When the storage bin is not installed in place, such as when the storage bin is not installed, the first optical sensor cannot receive the first reflection signal, and its intensity also appears to be 0, which is the same signal type as when there is material in the first cavity.

[0147] Therefore, to accurately detect the installation state of the storage bin, a second optical sensor is set. At the same time, at a position opposite to the second optical sensor, a separator is set. Through the separator and the housing, a second cavity that is not connected to the first cavity is isolated. A part of the rib is located in the second cavity. Therefore, regardless of whether there is material in the storage bin, the material is always separated by the separator and cannot contact the rib. Therefore, the refractive index of this part of the rib does not change.

[0148] The second optical sensor is opposite to the part of the rib surrounded by the separator. Therefore, as long as the storage bin is installed in place, the second optical sensor can always receive the second reflection signal, and its signal intensity is 1. If the second sensor cannot receive the second reflection signal, or the received second reflection signal is not 1, it means that the storage bin is not installed or not installed in place, realizing the accurate identification of the installation state of the storage bin.

[0149] In some embodiments of the invention, the optical sensor is specifically an infrared optical sensor. An infrared emission lamp with a wavelength of 890 nm to 980 nm can be optionally used. In some typical embodiments, an infrared emission lamp with a wavelength of 940 nm is selected.

[0150] When the infrared sensor receives infrared light of the above wavelength, current flows through the device. The greater the light intensity, the greater the current flowing through. Place a set of infrared transceiver lamps at different heights of the water tank, that is, place an optical sensor, and design a triangular rib position on the inner side of the water tank. The included angle of the triangular rib position is preferably 90°. The areas of the two inclined surfaces are designed according to the distance between the two components of the infrared transceiver. The two inclined surfaces are responsible for reflecting the emitted infrared light to the infrared receiving lamp.

[0151] When the water tank is empty, most of the infrared light is emitted through the inclined plane and reflected by the two inclined planes to the infrared receiving lamp; when the water tank is full of water, most of the light will be refracted through this interface, and the amount of reflected light becomes smaller. According to the relationship between the amount of light and the level in the detection principle, it is possible to detect whether there is water at the current height position of the water tank in this way, achieving the purpose of detecting the water level of the water tank.

[0152] Among them, when detecting the presence of water, the light is directly emitted to the far end and cannot reach the surface of the receiving device. That is to say, when the water tank is removed and there is no reflection medium, the receiving tube also does not receive any infrared light, which is the same as when the water medium conducts away the infrared light. Therefore, in order to distinguish these two situations, a set of infrared detections is added at the bottom of the water tank. However, the triangular ribs are separated from the water by a partition, and the air is isolated in the middle.

[0153] So in this case, whether there is water or not, as long as the water tank is present, this set of infrared light can receive the reflected light. When the water tank is not present, this set of infrared rays cannot receive any infrared light. Then, based on this principle, we can distinguish three situations: there is a tank, there is a tank without water, and there is a tank with water.

[0154] The specific detection scheme is output according to Table 1.

[0155]

[0156] In Table 1, the water tank status "0" represents no water tank, and "1" represents there is a water tank; in the water level 1 or water level 2 status, "0" represents no water, "1" represents there is water, and "x" represents any status. Specifically, it is divided into two detections. One is the production detection mode. In the production detection, the operation sequence requires first detecting without placing the water tank, and then placing the water tank for detection, and the detection result is output according to the logic truth table in Table 1. The other is the normal use mode. First, it is judged whether there is a water tank, and then it is self-checked whether there is an abnormal situation. After being normal, according to the signals of IR2 and IR3, the water level information is judged, and the system comprehensively calculates the subsequent cooking execution steps based on this water level information.

[0157] Among them, Figure 5 shows the second flow chart of the material detection method of the cooking device according to the embodiment of the present invention. As Figure 5 shown, during normal use, the detection logic includes:

[0158] Step 502, enter the normal use mode;

[0159] Step 504, judge whether the water tank exists; if yes, enter step 508, otherwise enter step 506;

[0160] Step 506, display that the water tank is not installed;

[0161] Step 508, obtain the sensor signal;

[0162] Step 510: Determine whether IR2 = 0 and IR3 = 1. If yes, proceed to Step 512; otherwise, proceed to Step 514.

[0163] Step 512: Detect the fault.

[0164] Step 514: Determine whether IR2 = 0 and IR3 = 0. If yes, proceed to Step 516; otherwise, proceed to Step 518.

[0165] Step 516: Display water shortage.

[0166] Step 518: Display the water level grade.

[0167] Figure 6 Figure 3 shows the third flowchart of the material detection method of the cooking device according to an embodiment of the present invention. As Figure 6 shown, during the production detection process, the detection logic includes:

[0168] Step 602: Enter the production detection mode.

[0169] Step 604: Determine whether IR1 = IR2 = IR3 = 1. If yes, proceed to Step 606; otherwise, proceed to Step 608.

[0170] Step 606: Detection is normal.

[0171] Step 608: Determine whether IR1 = IR2 = IR3 = 0. If yes, proceed to Step 612; otherwise, proceed to Step 610.

[0172] Step 610: Detect the fault.

[0173] Step 612: Detection is normal. Embodiment

[0174] In some embodiments of the present invention, a material detection device for a cooking device is provided. Figure 7 Figure 4 shows the structural block diagram of the material detection device of the cooking device according to an embodiment of the present invention. As Figure 7 shown, the material detection device 700 of the cooking device includes: a control module 702 for controlling the optical sensor to emit an optical signal to the rib of the storage bin; a receiving module 704 for receiving the reflected signal; and a determination module 706 for determining the material height of the material in the storage bin according to the signal strength corresponding to the received reflected signal.

[0175] In an embodiment of the present application, the cooking device includes a storage tank. In the first cavity of the storage tank, there are also formed ribbed protrusions that extend along the depth direction of the first cavity. That is to say, when the storage tank is placed flat on a horizontal surface, the ribbed protrusions extend along the vertical direction. The cooking device is also provided with N optical sensors, and the number of the optical sensors is N. The N optical sensors are arranged opposite to the ribbed protrusions, and the direction in which the N optical sensors are spaced apart is the same as the extending direction of the ribbed protrusions. Among them, the optical sensors can emit and receive optical signals.

[0176] Taking the storage tank as a water tank as an example, if there is no water at a specific height in the first cavity, that is, the medium in contact with the ribbed protrusions is air, then the ribbed protrusions have a first refractive index for the optical signals emitted by the optical sensors. Under the first refractive index, the optical signals emitted by the optical sensors will be refracted multiple times and then reflected back to the optical sensors. At this time, the reflected signal is approximately "directly incident" on the optical sensors, so that the optical sensors receive the reflected signal, and this reflected signal has a first intensity.

[0177] If there is water at a specific height in the first cavity, then the medium in contact with the ribbed protrusions changes from air to water, and the changed medium will also cause the refractive index of the ribbed protrusions for the optical signals to change. Therefore, the optical path of the optical signals emitted by the optical sensors refracted inside the ribbed protrusions will also change accordingly, and finally the angle at which the refracted signals received by the optical sensors are incident on the optical sensors will also change. At this time, the reflected signal is equivalent to being "deflected" onto the optical sensors, so that the intensity of the reflected signals received by the optical sensors decreases.

[0178] Therefore, according to the intensity of the reflected signals received by the optical sensors, it can be determined whether there is material in the first cavity of the storage tank at the position (height) where the optical sensors are arranged, so as to determine the material height and realize the detection of the remaining material quantity in the material tank. If the material is sufficient, the cooking device can perform automatic cooking without the user's attention. If the material decreases, the user can be prompted to supplement the material in a timely manner to ensure the effective operation of the cooking device. If the remaining material is not enough to meet the cooking requirements, an alarm message will be generated to prompt the user to supplement it in time, effectively ensuring the use experience and working efficiency of the cooking device.

[0179] In some embodiments of the present invention, the optical sensors include M first optical sensors, and the M first optical sensors correspond to M height information one by one; the reflected signals include M first reflected signals, and the M first reflected signals correspond to the M height information and the M first optical sensors one by one.

[0180] The determination module is further configured to: if there are X target reflected signals among the M first reflected signals, and the signal intensities of all of them are less than the intensity threshold, then determine the corresponding material height according to the largest one of the X height information corresponding to the X target reflected signals.

[0181] In the embodiments of the present application, the cooking device is provided with N optical sensors in total. Among them, part of the N optical sensors are the first optical sensors. Specifically, the number of the first optical sensors is M, and each first optical sensor corresponds to a set height, so as to detect whether there is material at the corresponding height.

[0182] Among them, the M height information corresponding to the M first optical sensors is continuous height information. In some embodiments, the M height information is continuous, specifically, the difference between any two adjacent height information is equal. For example, for instance, M = 3, and the M height information is height 1, height 2, and height 3, or height 100, height 200, and height 300. If the three height information are height 1, height 2, and height 4, then these three height information are not continuous.

[0183] Furthermore, the height information may be related to the depth of the first cavity of the storage bin of the cooking device. For example, height 1 corresponds to 33% of the total depth of the first cavity, height 2 corresponds to 66% of the total depth of the first cavity, and height 3 corresponds to 99% of the total depth of the first cavity, etc.

[0184] Among them, since the signal intensity of the reflected signal received by the first optical sensor at this height is different when there is material and when there is no material at the corresponding height. Here, the case where the signal intensity is greater than or equal to the intensity threshold is set to 1, indicating that there is no material at this height, and the case where the signal intensity is less than the intensity threshold is set to 0, indicating that there is material at this height.

[0185] At this time, taking the case where M = 3 and a total of 3 first optical sensors are provided as an example, if the signal intensity detected by the first optical sensor corresponding to height 1 is 1, the signal intensity detected by the first optical sensor corresponding to height 2 is 0, and the signal intensity detected by the first optical sensor corresponding to height 3 is 0, it means that the material height in the current first cavity corresponds to height 1, and currently the material height in the first cavity is between 33% and 66% of the total depth of the first cavity.

[0186] The present invention can accurately obtain the material height in the storage bin by arranging optical sensors at different heights, setting ribbed bars to reflect optical signals, and according to the intensity of different reflected signals, and realize the detection of the remaining material quantity.

[0187] In some embodiments of the present invention, the determination module is further configured to: when the intensity values of all the M first reflected signals are greater than or equal to the intensity threshold, determine that the material height is 0.

[0188] In an embodiment of the present application, if the first reflection signal is greater than or equal to the intensity threshold, it indicates that there is no material at the height of the first optical sensor that receives this first reflection signal. Therefore, if all the first reflection signals exceed or are equal to the intensity threshold, it means that there is no material at the set heights of all the first optical sensors. At this time, it is determined that the storage bin is empty, and the material height of the material in the storage bin is 0.

[0189] It can be understood that the more the number of the first sensors is set, and the denser the distribution of the first sensors is, the finer the result of the height detection is. When the number of the first sensors is set less, for example, when 3 first sensors are set and the sensor corresponding to the lowest detection height is set at 20% of the total depth of the storage bin, when the material height in the storage bin is lower than 20%, it is determined that the material height is 0 and the storage bin is empty. Among them, the shape of the first cavity in the storage bin may be irregular, and a material height of 20% does not necessarily mean that the remaining material amount is 20%.

[0190] In some embodiments of the present invention, the material detection device of the cooking device further includes: a display module for displaying the current material height; and generating and displaying a prompt message when the current material height is less than a preset height threshold.

[0191] In an embodiment of the present application, a height threshold can be preset. If the material height is greater than the preset height threshold, it indicates that there is sufficient remaining material in the storage bin, and there is no need to worry that the lack of material will affect the cooking effect at this time. If the material height is lower than the preset height threshold, it indicates that the material has decreased, and the user needs to be prompted to supplement the material in a timely manner.

[0192] It can be understood that if the material height is 0, it is considered that the remaining material cannot support cooking. At this time, an alarm message can be sent to the user's remote control, mobile phone APP, etc., to prompt the user to supplement the material in a timely manner.

[0193] In some embodiments of the present invention, the determination module is further configured to: generate a fault message when M first reflection signals match a preset fault truth table.

[0194] In an embodiment of the present application, under normal circumstances, the first reflection signal conforms to a specific law. For example, if there are 5 first optical sensors, and their corresponding signals and heights are A, B, C, D, and E respectively, where the height gradually decreases from A to E. If the material height in the current first cavity corresponds to the first optical sensor D, then the signal intensities of A, B, and C should be 1 at this time, and the signal intensities of D and E should be 0. Once the signal intensity of A is 0 and the signal intensity of B is 1, that is, there is material at the "higher" position and no material at the "lower" position, it indicates that a fault has occurred in the optical sensor or the controller. At this time, a fault message is generated to prompt the user to repair the cooking device.

[0195] In some embodiments of the present invention, the optical sensor further includes a second optical sensor, and the reflected signal correspondingly includes a second reflected signal; the determination module is further configured to: when the second reflected signal is received, determine that the installation state of the storage bin is in place; when the second reflected signal is not received, determine that the installation state of the storage bin is not in place.

[0196] In the embodiments of the present application, the installation state of the storage bin can also be detected by the second optical sensor. Specifically, since the first optical sensor is used to detect the height of the material, when the storage bin is installed in place but there is no material in the first cavity, the intensity value of the first reflected signal received by the first optical sensor is 1, that is, a reflected signal greater than the threshold can be received. When there is material in the first cavity, materials such as water contact the rib, resulting in a change in the reflection coefficient of the rib. At this time, the intensity value of the first reflected signal received by the first optical sensor is 0, that is, the intensity of the received reflected signal is less than the threshold.

[0197] When the storage bin is not installed in place, such as when the storage bin is not installed, the first optical sensor cannot receive the first reflected signal, and its intensity also shows 0, which is the same signal type as when there is material in the first cavity.

[0198] Therefore, to accurately detect the installation state of the storage bin, a second optical sensor is provided. At the same time, at a position opposite to the second optical sensor, a separator is provided. Through the separator and the housing, a second cavity that is not connected to the first cavity is separated. A part of the rib is located in the second cavity. Therefore, whether there is material in the storage bin or not, the material is always separated by the separator and cannot contact the rib. Therefore, the refractive index of this part of the rib will not change.

[0199] The second optical sensor is opposite to the rib part enclosed by the separator. Therefore, as long as the storage bin is installed in place, the second optical sensor can always receive the second reflected signal, and its signal intensity is 1. If the second sensor cannot receive the second reflected signal, or the received second reflected signal is not 1, it means that the storage bin is not installed or not installed in place, realizing the accurate identification of the installation state of the storage bin. Embodiment

[0200] In some embodiments of the present invention, a cooking device is provided. Figure 8 FIG. shows one of the structural block diagrams of the cooking device according to the embodiments of the present invention. As Figure 8 shown, the cooking device 800 includes the material detection device 700 of the cooking device provided in any of the above embodiments. Therefore, the cooking device 800 also includes all the beneficial effects of the material detection device of the cooking device provided in any of the above embodiments. To avoid repetition, it will not be described in detail here. Embodiment

[0201] In some embodiments of the present invention, a cooking device is provided. Figure 9 FIG. 2 shows a second structural block diagram of a cooking device according to an embodiment of the present invention. As Figure 9 shown, the cooking device 900 includes: a memory 902, on which programs or instructions are stored; a processor 904, which is configured to implement the material detection method of the cooking device provided in any of the above embodiments when executing the programs or instructions. Therefore, the cooking device also includes all the beneficial effects of the material detection method of the cooking device provided in any of the above embodiments. To avoid repetition, details are not described herein again. Embodiment

[0202] In some embodiments of the present invention, a readable storage medium is provided, on which programs or instructions are stored. When the programs or instructions are executed by a processor, the material detection method of the cooking device provided in any of the above embodiments can be implemented. Therefore, the readable storage medium also includes all the beneficial effects of the material detection method of the cooking device provided in any of the above embodiments. To avoid repetition, details are not described herein again.

[0203] In the description of the present invention, the term "a plurality of" means two or more unless otherwise clearly defined. The orientation or positional relationship indicated by terms such as "upper", "lower", etc. is based on the orientation or positional relationship shown in the drawings, and is only for the convenience of describing the present invention and simplifying the description, rather than indicating or implying that the device or element referred to must have a specific orientation, be constructed and operated in a specific orientation, and thus should not be construed as a limitation to the present invention; the terms "connection", "installation", "fixation", etc. should all be understood in a broad sense. For example, "connection" can be a fixed connection, a detachable connection, or an integral connection; it can be directly connected or indirectly connected through an intermediate medium. For those of ordinary skill in the art, the specific meanings of the above terms in the present invention can be understood according to specific circumstances.

[0204] In the description of the present invention, the descriptions of terms such as "one embodiment", "some embodiments", "specific embodiments", etc. mean that the specific features, structures, materials, or characteristics described in connection with the embodiment or example are included in at least one embodiment or example of the present invention. In the present invention, the schematic descriptions of the above terms do not necessarily refer to the same embodiment or example. Moreover, the specific features, structures, materials, or characteristics described can be combined in a suitable manner in any one or more embodiments or examples.

[0205] The above are only the preferred embodiments of the present invention and are not intended to limit the present invention. For those skilled in the art, the present invention may have various modifications and variations. Any modification, equivalent replacement, improvement, etc. made within the spirit and principle of the present invention shall be included within the protection scope of the present invention.

Claims

1. A cooking device, characterized in that, Comprising: A storage bin, including a first cavity, and ribs located within the first cavity and extending along the depth direction of the first cavity; N optical sensors, arranged outside the first cavity at intervals along the depth direction of the first cavity, for emitting optical signals to the ribs and receiving the reflected signals reflected by the ribs, where N is an integer greater than 2; The N optical sensors include M first optical sensors, where M is less than N; The cooking device further includes: A controller, connected to the N optical sensors, for determining the material height of the material in the storage bin according to the signal intensities of the M first reflected signals received by the M first optical sensors; An isolation member, arranged within the first cavity and connected to the storage bin, the isolation member and the storage bin enclosing a second cavity, and part of the ribs are located within the second cavity; The N optical sensors further include N - M second optical sensors, the isolation member is arranged at a position opposite to the second optical sensors, and the first cavity and the second cavity are not connected; The controller is further used for determining the installation state of the storage bin according to the second reflected signals received by the second optical sensors.

2. The cooking device according to claim 1, characterized in that, The ribs include an incident surface and a reflection surface; The optical sensor includes a transmitting end and a receiving end, the transmitting end faces the incident surface, and the receiving end faces the reflection surface.

3. The cooking device according to claim 1, characterized in that, It further includes: A cooking cavity, connected to the storage bin; A cooking component, connected to the cooking cavity, for cooking the material in the cooking cavity.

4. A method for detecting materials of a cooking device, characterized in that, For the cooking device according to any one of claims 1 to 3, the material detection method includes: Controlling the optical sensor of the cooking device to emit an optical signal to the storage bin of the cooking device; Receiving the reflected signal corresponding to the optical signal; Determining the material height in the storage bin according to the signal intensity of the reflected signal; The optical sensor includes M first optical sensors, and the M first optical sensors respectively correspond to M height information; The reflected signal includes M first reflected signals corresponding one by one to the M first optical sensors; The determining the material height in the storage bin according to the signal intensity of the reflected signal includes: When the signal intensities of X target reflected signals among the M first reflected signals are less than the intensity threshold, determining the material height according to the maximum value of the X height information corresponding to the X target reflected signals; The optical sensor further includes a second optical sensor, and the reflected signal further includes a second reflected signal; The material detection method further includes: When the second reflected signal is received, determining that the installation state of the storage bin is installed; When the second reflected signal is not received, determining that the installation state of the storage bin is not installed.

5. The material detection method according to claim 4, wherein It further includes: When all of the M first reflected signals are greater than or equal to the intensity threshold, determining that the material height is 0.

6. The material detection method according to claim 4, wherein It further includes: Displaying the material height; And When the material height is lower than the height threshold, generating a corresponding prompt message.

7. The material detection method according to claim 4, wherein It further includes: Generate corresponding fault information when the M first reflection signals conform to a preset fault truth table.

8. A material detection device for a cooking device, characterized in that, For implementing the material detection method according to any one of claims 4 to 7, the material detection device includes: A control module for controlling the optical sensor of the cooking device to emit an optical signal to the storage bin of the cooking device; A receiving module for receiving the reflection signal corresponding to the optical signal; A determination module for determining the height of the material in the storage bin according to the signal intensity of the reflection signal; The optical sensor includes M first optical sensors, and the M first optical sensors respectively correspond to M height information; The reflection signal includes M first reflection signals that correspond one-to-one to the M first optical sensors; The determination module is further configured to, when the signal intensities of X target reflection signals among the M first reflection signals are less than the intensity threshold, determine the material height according to the maximum value of the X height information corresponding to the X target reflection signals; The optical sensor further includes a second optical sensor, and the reflection signal further includes a second reflection signal; The material detection device is further configured to determine that the installation state of the storage bin is installed when the second reflection signal is received; Determine that the installation state of the storage bin is not installed when the second reflection signal is not received.

9. A cooking device, characterized in that, Comprising: The material detection device of the cooking device according to claim 8.

10. A cooking device, characterized in that, Comprising: A memory having a program or instruction stored thereon; A processor for implementing the material detection method according to any one of claims 4 to 7 when executing the program or instruction.

11. A readable storage medium storing a program or instructions thereon, characterized in that, The program or instruction, when executed by the processor, implements the material detection method according to any one of claims 4 to 7.

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